The Counterweight Handbook Principled Strategies for Surviving and Defeating Critical Social Justice—at Work, in Schools, and Beyond

by Pluckrose, Helen

• ISBN13: 9781634312288
• ISBN10: 1634312287
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2024-05-20
• Publisher: Pitchstone Publishing

Summary

Over the last several years, organizations and institutions throughout the West—both public and private—have adopted comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and mandated new forms of employee and student training on antiracism, unconscious bias, gender diversity, cultural sensitivity, and related topics. The stated goals of these programs are often reasonable if not noble—to create a more welcoming space and inclusive environment for all. But such training, when based on the activist ideology known as Critical Social Justice, crosses an illiberal line when participants are required to affirm beliefs they do not hold. Indeed, the mildest questions about or objections to common teachings in these sessions—that all white people are racists, that all underrepresented minorities are oppressed or useful tools of the majority, that sex and gender differences have no biological basis—are regularly met with pat commands: "Educate yourself," "Do the work," "Listen and learn."

At work, raises, promotions, and even future employment may well depend on one's nodding approval during such training. At school, grades, nominations, and awards may be contingent upon one's active agreement with these ideological beliefs. When faced with such a predicament—between silent submission and risky if ethical opposition—what is a person to do?

The Counterweight Handbook provides individuals with a practical and easily navigable guide to understanding and addressing the issues that are likely to arise when this activist ideology is implemented in their organization or institution. It also teaches them what to do when they are asked to affirm their commitment to beliefs they simply do not hold, undergo training in an ideology they cannot support, or submit themselves to antiscientific testing and retraining of their "unconscious" minds. It is for everyone who wishes to push back against the hostile work and educational environments such training inevitably creates—or who fears being fired, censored, or cancelled for their sincere beliefs and principled convictions.

Author Biography

Helen Pluckrose is founder of Counterweight, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization that offers advice and support to those encountering Critical Social Justice ideology in their workplace or school and that advocates for liberal concepts of social justice. A humanist who mostly just wants people to value evidence-based epistemology and consistently liberal ethics, she is also coauthor of the internationally acclaimed book Cynical Theories. She lives in London.